AFP, LONDON
Gavin Henson is desperate to start for Saracens in a bid to regain his Wales spot after marking his return from 21 months out of action by coming off the bench in Saracens’ 13-6 Premiership win over Wasps.
Wales begin their Six Nations campaign at home to England on Feb. 4 and national coach Warren Gatland is set to name his squad for the tournament after next month’s round of European Cup matches.
That leaves 28-year-old Henson, capped 31 times by Wales, with little time to impress Gatland and the midfielder believes he must start soon in his favored position of inside center if he is to force his way back into Test contention.
“The reason I got back into rugby was to play for my country. I would love to do it in the Six Nations, but time is running out,” said Henson after a win for Saracens at Wembley on Sunday that left his club second in the table. “I need to start a game of rugby and at 12 as well. I wouldn’t have thought Wales are looking at me at 13. If anything, they are looking at me at 12.”
“[The England game] is my target. I would like to get at least one game under my belt [before the squad announcement] and I just have to do everything I can in training so Saracens will hopefully start me,” Henson said.
“I felt pretty good out there. I didn’t feel like I had been out for 21 months. I just need a bit more time out there and a bit more time with the ball in my hands hopefully. I was at 13 and I have never really played there before. I think I prefer 12. I can get my hands on the ball a lot more,” he said.
Saracens coach Mark McCall said Henson was set to be involved against Sale next weekend, but said he would most likely feature at 13 with Brad Barritt still his first-choice center.
“Brad Barritt is an outstanding 12. He is having a great season so we are in no rush to move Brad anywhere,” McCall said. “Gavin is finding his feet at the moment. He is getting to know our systems. We are not going to rush him too much.”
“I am not sure where he will end up for our club. I think 12 is his best position, but he showed today he is more than capable of playing 13,” he said.
Henson had not played since an Anglo-Welsh Cup semi-final appearance for the Ospreys back in March last year.
His rugby career was in crisis when he took six months unpaid leave from the Welsh regional side and Henson’s private life was then plunged into turmoil following the break-up of his relationship with singer Charlotte Church.
It seemed Henson was settling for life on the celebrity circuit with appearances in British television shows 71 Degrees North and Strictly Come Dancing.
However, he insisted he wanted to play again and Saracens took a calculated gamble on Henson by offering him a contract until the end of this season.
Henson nearly made a fairytale comeback just minutes after coming off the bench when he intercepted a loose pass only for Wasps’ Joe Simpson to hold him up after the British and Irish Lion had crossed the line and prevent the Welshman grounding the ball for a try.
Shaun Edwards, Wasps assistant coach and Wales defensive coach, was impressed by Henson’s return.
“He looked pretty sharp, didn’t he? Fair play to him. You always want world-class players like that, particularly from a Welsh angle,” he said.
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